Installing dishwasher under counter - removing top panel

Question

I am building a kitchen in Indonesia. The usual system is a reinforced concrete countertop which is cast in place, with holes for the sink and hob, and then floor pillars made usually of end-on bricks. Tile of some description is then attached to the counter top as a work surface.

I have purchased a dishwasher (Beko brand), which is not a usual appliance in Indonesia, and has been imported from Turkey, and currently in transit.

According to the manual there are two ways to install the dishwasher, either at 85cm high freestanding, or 82cm under a countertop.

Here is the diagram under countertop:

I looked at some videos on Youtube and there seems to be some variance possibly by country, but I saw some involving attaching a dishwasher (not necessarily this brand) to the cabinet using screws

, but this does not seem to be a feature of my dishwasher.

What I am concerned about is that the humidity is very high where I live, never less than 80%, and mostly above 90%, and I wonder if removing the cover for installation under the concrete countertop would make the appliance more likely to rust. The reason to remove the cover is because otherwise my dishwasher will be too tall to fit under countertop which in turn needs to fit under existing window sill, and the reason not to is it seems to me that the cover has a purpose, but maybe the concrete counter top would do the same job!?

But maybe I am being stupid, I'm not really sure. And it's not quite clear to me if the same removable of dishwasher panel is common across the world, or if in some countries the built-in dishwasher and freestanding are different types for regulatory reasons or whatever else, and also if I need to find some sort of clip, or not.

Answer 1

The illustration on the lower left shows the dishwasher being installed without the top cover, so doing so seems OK. A thin metal cover will have no protective effect vis-a-vis the high humidity, so cover-on or cover-off won't matter.

On the other hand, the upward-fastening screw shown in the last photo is absolutely standard practice here in the US; it prevents the dishwasher from pivoting outward if weight is applied downward onto the opened dishwasher door, as would happen (for instance) if a child climbed up onto the opened door. This bracket, or a suitable clip to hold the dishwasher body in place, is good practice and should be used or a similar restraint improvised.